You and I
by KingRadish
Summary: AU. Nalu- Life is bitch and love is just a lie. But, darling, you and I are eternal. Eternal, like the stars; forever, like the fire that burns in your eyes. Our love alone is beyond words and spoken lies; it's a story told through the ages and the greatest deception of all.
1. New Neighbours-Prologue

**So, another new story, and no updates. Sorry!  
**

 **I promise I'll actually update this one, though. Pinky promise!**

 **-Radish**

* * *

 _-5 years old-_

"Mama! Papa!" The little girl screamed, her hair a golden fan as she rushed to find her parents. "They're here! They're here!" Her chubby little fingers stabbed at the window in her excitement.

Layla Heartfilia looked up from her novel. At 28 years old, she was the manifestation of beauty and grace; her smile the object of many men's hearts. She uncrossed her long legs and laid her book down on the loveseat to catch her little daughter who barreled toward her like a cannon ball. Using the momentum, she swung her daughter up in an arc, to which the little girl squealed happily. "Did you see them, darling?"

The girl nodded until her head looked as if it were bouncing on her neck. "There was a really big man and this _boy with pink hair_!" She gesticulated wildly as she giggled. Layla felt her heart swell at seeing her baby so excited.

"Why don't you go tell Papa? Let's go say hi together."

And the girl was off like a rocket toward her father's office. Layla felt the corners of her mouth twitch upward and glanced at the sheet of paper that lay innocently on the coffee table. Perhaps she would tell the little girl some other day.

* * *

Igneel was exhausted.

He ran a hand through his spiky red hair, his fingers getting caught in the crumbling hair gel in the process. He cursed quietly, just quiet enough not to be heard. After parking his truck in his new driveway, he unbuckled his seatbelt and twisted his torso so that he faced the fuming little boy in the backseat. "Natsu?"

The boy glared out the window as if he hoped to burn through the glass with his lazer vision. His eyebrow twitched when his name was called, but otherwise he ignored the man.

Igneel sighed and rubbed his face with his large hands. "Natsu, I know you didn't want to leave, but we couldn't stay there anymore. This neighbourhood is much nicer and—"

"Shut up!" The boy's eyes were burning with anger. "Just shut up, will you?! I don't want to hear your stupid excuses!" He sniffed and hopped out of the car, slamming the door behind him.

Igneel groaned for the hundredth time that day. Being a single parent is just so hard. Wearily he opened the driver's side door and climbed out, ducking to avoid hitting his head on the frame. Shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun, he looked over his new house. It wasn't large but looked a hell of a lot better than his old one. He was surprised he was even able to sell that old, run-down place.

Natsu was kicking pebbles at the car from the driveway sulkily, his hands shoved into his pockets. He glanced up at the sound of Igneel shutting the car door and then promptly returned to his pebble-kicking with a vengeance to demonstrate his displeasure.

"Oi, stop that!" A jagged rock had bounced off the car door, and Igneel could have sworn he saw a bit of paint come off. Natsu glared at his father before giving a final kick and storming off. "Stupid kid," Igneel muttered to himself.

They didn't have much furniture, just a couple of chairs, a small dining table the size of a coffee table, and a couch with more holes in it than Swiss cheese. He moved all the things out from the car to the gravel driveway, grunting under the weight of the couch. He thought he saw a flash of pink and yellow out of the corner of his eye.

"Hello mister!" He set the couch down with a heavy exhale. An adorable little girl was looking up at him with the brownest eyes he'd ever seen. "I'm your neighbour!" She stuck out a chubby little hand dotted with the tell-tale rainbow stains of felt markers.

Squatting, Igneel grinned and took her tiny hand in his big one. "Nice to meetcha, little lady. Call me Igneel."

"Call me Lucy!" She was missing a front tooth. Lucy looked around, "Where did the boy with pink hair go?"

Igneel mentally shuddered. First impressions were important, and with Natsu in a stormy mood, Igneel dreaded what he would say to their new neighbours.

Standing up to his full height and looking around, he made sure Natsu was not in sight. "Ah… He went inside…"

"Oh…" She looked slightly disappointed but recovered within a second. "Then I'll help you move!" Beaming, she grabbed the nearest box she could find.

It was his toolbox.

Igneel swooped in and snatched it out of her hands before she could drop it on her feet and injure herself. He pointed to a smaller cardboard box. "Thanks, Lucy! Wanna help me grab that one?"

She grinned happily and obliged. "Where d'ya want me to put this, mister Igneel?"

"Uh…" He squinted up at the sun. "Just by the front door would be nice!" She disappeared behind the house faster than a speeding bullet. "Oh, and just call me Igneel!" He called after her.

Igneel wondered what her parents were like as he pulled out more stuff from his truck and glanced toward the next house in time to see the door open to reveal the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

* * *

Sitting on the front steps, Natsu heard the light patter of footsteps come nearer and stuffed his marbles back into his pocket. Tensely he waited.

Even before he had gotten here, he had decided that he would be mean-horribly mean- to every single person in this neighbourhood. After all, he didn't want to be here in this crappy new place.

His friends were waiting for him back east, waiting for their leader to come back. He had fun playing with them too. But Igneel, that idiot, just _had_ to buy a new place.

Stupid dad.

The footsteps stopped and he looked up grumpily. "What do you want?"

In front of him was a little blond girl in a pink dress smelling of vanilla and strawberries and looking at him with an expression of curiosity. Their eyes met, black on brown, but she didn't look away. Instead, she grinned at him.

"Hello!" She was missing a front tooth, he noticed.

"What do you want?" _Glare, just glare at her, dammit._ Oh, but that smell was so distracting.

"I'm helping Igneel move!" The grin got wider as she shook the box she was carrying. "See?"

Natsu's eyes narrowed as he noticed _his_ box in _her_ hands. "What the hell are you doing? Don't touch my stuff!" With one bound he was in front of her, wrestling for the box.

"Stop it! I told Igneel I would put it in front of the door!" She pulled the box away from him, her voice high and whiny.

"Just give it to me! That dumbass doesn't know anything!"

"No! Stop pulling!"

"Fuck you!"

Her eyes grew as round and bright as the moon as she froze. Natsu had one moment to regret his words before he fell backward, the box flying out of his hands. His bottom hit the concrete path painfully and he winced.

"Fine! You have it!" She was storming away now, voice stuffy. "You're the worst!"

Natsu could hear the tears in her voice and the pang of regret turned into an ache. He _hated_ it when girls cried. _Now you've done it_ , he thought as her pink dress turned orange in the sunset and she raised a hand to wipe away her tears.

He caught up to her retreating figure. "Hey, don't cry… I'm sorry." He despised the way his voice sounded so pitiful but he pushed on. "I didn't mean it! I was just kind of mad that we moved here."

"You didn't want to come?"

She looked at him then, her glistening tears surrounded by a halo of golden orange. The scent of strawberries and vanilla paralyzed his tongue. And those eyes, those soulful brown eyes, sucked him into their gradient warm depths. He thought he would drown like this. At the moment, drowning in chocolate didn't seem like such a bad idea.

Then she sniffed and the spell was broken. Natsu felt stupid for staring at her so he quickly looked away.

"Yeah. Didn't wanna leave my friends in the hood."

She crinkled her nose. "Why do you talk like that?"

"Like what?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I dunno! It's just that you talk in a funny way." She added hastily when she saw the look on his face, "It's not bad or anything! Just different!"

He grunted, since he didn't know what to say. He didn't know what she meant, but he didn't want to make her cry again. Right then she was smiling, and he quietly admitted to himself that she looked kind of nice. Not that he liked her or anything.

Liking people was for pussies, and Natsu Dragneel was not a pussy.

"I'm sorry too," she said suddenly. He looked up, surprised. She wasn't looking at him anymore.

"For?"

"Your box." She pointed to the mess in front of the stairs leading to the porch. "I let go of it."

"Naw, it's 'kay." He broke away from her and trotted to the mess. "It's just my stuff." Bending down, he began to pick things up.

He heard her light footsteps following behind and turned around to see her holding up a photo. _His_ photo. He felt the familiar boil of rage, but reined the monster in until it stopped rearing its head. It was easy. He'd been angry for a whole day, and it was beginning to tire him out.

"Are they your Mama and Papa?"

"Yea." He kept his voice steady and cool. "They died." He turned his back toward her and continued to pick things up. His pokemon cards, his marbles, his figurines.

"Did Igneel adopt you, then?"

He hummed. "Yea."

She didn't say anything else and quietly helped him clean up. He glanced at her a few times, but her face betrayed no emotions. Really, people usually asked more questions.

Finally, after a few minutes, the contents of the box had been replaced and they stood side by side, staring at the closed lid. Now that the main source of conflict had been resolved, there seemed to be no more reason for them to stay together.

She made no move to leave. Natsu scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh… Thanks."

She nodded and there was another long silence. Natsu examined the concrete. There was a long crack beneath his feet and he watched the ants crawl over it.

"My name's Lucy," she suddenly said, looking at him.

He stared back. "Natsu." Then he noticed that she had stuck her hand out stiffly toward him. Her face was pink as she glared at him with determination.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Wh-What's with that face?!" He gasped, trying to control himself. She hadn't moved. He stopped laughing. "What?"

"Shake!" She commanded, wriggling her hand at him.

"No." He crossed his arms. "That's so old-school. Uncool." He made a face.

She glared at him, her hand still held out. "What do you mean?"

"Here, I'll show you the Handshake. This is the cool way of doing things! Watch carefully!"

* * *

Igneel rounded the corner, carrying the couch by himself, followed by Jude and Layla carrying the dining table.

He was glad that his neighbours were so wonderful and kind. Jude was a nice guy, though a little formal and haughty in that rich-businessman way. His wife, though, was amazing.

Amazing was the only word he could find to describe her. It was the only word that could do her justice. Aye, if only she wasn't married…

He decided to put her out of his mind. With some effort, he tried to ignore the click of her heels on the cement.

As he brought the heavy couch to the porch, he noticed a little boy and a little girl sitting together and laughing in that innocent, clear voice that only children could.

He smiled at the scene and felt a part of his soul rest. A burden heavier than this couch he was carrying fell away into the vast ocean of happiness. Maybe things would be alright after all.

"Whatcha smiling at, old man?" Natsu was trying to glare at him but the corners of his mouth kept lifting upwards. Lucy waved cheerily, showing off her missing front tooth.

Igneel grinned at his son, who turned away, blushing. He thought he heard something that sounded like "stupid old guy", but decided that he would let this one pass.

Fumbling with his keys, he opened the door to his new home as the sound of children's laughter drifted into the sunset.

* * *

 **Hope that was alright!**

 **Let me know if you liked it.**

 **-Radish**


	2. Totally Platonic

**Like I promised, here's update number 2!**

 **It's not totally NaLu, and now I've got to change the rating too... The thing is, the characters are kind of OOC, and I really felt like Igneel and Layla are reflections of Natsu and Lucy. Please understand!**

 **-Radish**

* * *

 _-8 years old-_

"Natsu... Natsu..." She was crying, her head on her knees as she curled up in misery on his bed.

Natsu gently peeled her hands off her legs and held them firmly in his own. Se looked up at him, leaning back. Overly bright eyes squinted at him through a film of tears.

"Mama..." She rasped, her voice barely above a hoarse whisper. "Mama's gonna die..." Another sob exploded out of her tiny chest. She was shuddering now.

"Shh..." He cooed, holding both her hands in one of his own and wiping away her tears with his thumb, drawing swirls on her soft cheeks, obliterating the glistening drops. "Hush, Luce. She's gonna be fine."

At 8 years old, Natsu liked to think that he's a Man. Mature, cool, and independent. He walked Lucy to school every day and took care of her. But when it came to things like this, he had no idea what to do.

"No, she's not!" She burst into a fresh wave of tears, eyes wide with fear. "The doctor said that... That..." Lucy started bawling.

Natsu pulled her closer and put his forehead to hers till their faces were almost touching. His steady hand on the back of her head, nestled in her soft golden locks, they stayed like that for a little while.

She calmed a little, taking short little breaths and exhaling slowly with little shivers. "Natsu, the doctors say that she doesn't have long left." She gulped. "Maybe a month or two."

Natsu had his eyes closed. Here was his best friend, her heart in pieces and vulnerable. She had let him into the cracks of her armour, and he knew that he would fix her.

He had to.

"Oh Luce," he said, keeping his voice as slow and calm as possible. "You know what your mom is like. She'll pull through. Layla beats everything."

"You think so? Do you really think so?" A high quiver, the first peep of a baby bird.

"Yup," he concluded sagely. "She's gonna be fine."

Suddenly, she wrenched her hands out of his grasp and wrapped her arms around his torso, wriggling closer to him. She laid her head on his shoulder, resting her face on the crook of his neck and tickling his sensitive skin with every exhale.

He felt the flutter of her eyelashes on his shoulder blade and had to control himself to not move away. This was WAY too close. What was next? Kissing? Ewwww... He felt light headed. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad after all... He shook these thoughts away, embarrassed by himself.

Natsu was a MAN, and he would take care of Lucy.

He wrapped his arms around her awkwardly and held her until she fell asleep on his shoulder.

She needed him and he swore that he would be there for her through Hell and fire.

* * *

"Where's Jude?" Igneel asked as he welcomed Layla into his humble abode with a comic bow and a sweep of his arm. "Just got a coupla new golf mags for him to check out."

"He's out today," she answered as she stepped inside. "Business or whatnot. He'll be back tomorrow."

He thought she seemed a little nervous, but decided that Layla wasn't the kind of woman to be nervous. Goddesses were above the influence of normal human emotions.

"What's up?"

Her eyes flickered to his face and lingered for a second as she stepped into the living room. The she quickly looked away and bit her lip.

He narrowed his eyes. It wasn't his imagination. Something was definitely up.

With a flick of his finger, he turned the lights on. A chandelier twirled overhead, casting little pieces of rainbow across the furniture.

"Like it?" He grinned at her, "Friend o' mine didn't want it no more so she gave it to me. Just put it in this morning."

Layla smiled as she gazed up. "Oh, it's beautiful, Igneel!"

The way she said his name sent a little shiver up his spine. Her soft, cultured accent and her melodious, feminine voice made his hair stand on end.

After three years, she was still the object of his desire. He really couldn't help it! He knew she was married to a nice, rich, proper guy who was everything he wasn't; he knew she had the most loveable, adorable daughter on Earth; he knew she had hoards of men lining up to worship her, each more devoted than the last.

He could never compete! But a man could dream! All he was and could ever be was a good neighbor. he watched the light cross her face, illuminating her cheeks in a soft glow.

Lately, they had begun to grow hollow. He could tell. Dark circles marred her perfect beauty and it seemed as if even her eyes had grown haunted. Of course, it wasn't in the role of a good neighbor to pry or worry, so he had never mentioned it.

"Thanks!" He maintained his grin. "Want some water?"

"No, thank you. It's really alright. I don't plan to stay long." Her eyes were dreamy as she watched the slow dance of the lights.

"Everything's alright?"

She sighed and folded her hands across her lap. "Won't you sit with me, Igneel?" Her eyes were downcast now, scrutinizing the old carpet. Igneel remembered the pizza Natsu had dropped there a couple of nights ago and wondered if it had left a stain.

"Sure, hon." He pushed himself off the wall and sat down beside her. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Could you... Take care of Lucy when I'm gone?"

Igneel was taken aback. "Where're you going?" His red eyebrows furrowed.

"Up there, Igneel." She raised her face to the ceiling, and he saw the tears dripping down the side of her face. "Up there. I don't have much longer."

"Layla." She didn't respond. "Layla!" She looked at him, beautiful even in the throes of sadness. "What's going on? Tell me the whole thing, I'm begging you."

She sighed again, her whole body seeming to shrink as she did so. Her perfect posture was abandoned, and she let her sobs shake her body. For the first time, she looked less like a goddess come to Earth and more like a tragically beautiful woman.

And he loved her more for it.

Bravely, he put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him until her head was pressing against the side of his torso. This was okay, right? This was a friend comforting a friend. Totally platonic.

As they sat there, he became painfully aware of their proximity and of how tiny she really was. Like a china doll, ready to shatter if he pressed too hard. Had she always been this thin?

Now the sobs faded to whimpers and sniffles. Igneel patted her kindly on the shoulder. "There, there, Layla. Deep breaths. Tell me what I can do."

To his surprise, she snuggled closer to him, pressing herself against him. He convinced himself that she just needed someone to be there for her. A good friend. Totally platonic.

"I'm dying, Igneel." She whispered into his chest. "I only have a couple of months left at best."

He felt his heart stop beating. "Are you serious, Layla?" Somehow, calling her name made this seem more real.

He felt her nod, as he knew she would. This was real. He opened his mouth to say something, but his voice had disappeared.

The silence hung heavily over the normally cheery living room, with all its clashing colors and mismatched furniture. Only the clock ticked on relentlessly, counting the moments they were losing together.

"What... is it?" His voice had returned from the dead as a shadow of its former self- a mere raspy whisper.

She hummed, now calm but still nestled in his chest. "Breast cancer. The old doctor said it was just a tumor."

"What about surgery?"

"Too late."

He clutched her closer to him, suddenly afraid that she would disappear from his side at any moment, stolen away by the monster in her chest.

"Igneel."

He let go of her, immediately aware of what he had been doing. Had he broken the platonic-ness of their closeness? Panicking, he tried to make amends. "Sorry, Layla, I didn't know what I was doing and I'm really sorry and-"

"Kiss me."

Igneel froze, his mouth gaping open in mid-speech. He closed it, then opened it, then closed it again. Blinking, he finally managed something intelligible. "Eh?"

Then her lips were on his, and God, they were so soft. He thought of flowers and honey and all he could breathe in was her scent. He curled his toes, gripping the carpet as an anchor; or else he figured he would float away.

"I told you to kiss me," she whispered into his lips. "Igneel."

That did it. His name, on her lips, in that voice.

He never had much self-control, and controlling his desire for her for three long years had worn it down to practically nothing. He swore he could hear his dead mum in Heaven looking past his shoulder in disapproval, but, oh God, he didn't give a damn.

Layla was in his arms. Layla was kissing him. Layla with her sexy voice and her chocolate eyes and her great body.

Layla, whom he loved.

Then he was looking down at her, her hair spread out in a fan on his couch and the light of the chandelier spraying across his vision. Her dress was rumpled, all the buttons somehow undone in front, revealing her fair skin.

With his last ounce of self-control, he met those lovely brown eyes and mumbled out, "Are you okay with this?"

She nodded, her gaze full of lust. "I love you. I need you."

And that was enough.

* * *

 **Well, it's only technically chapter 1, so don't expect too much to happen. The story is going to continue in a chronological order by Natsu and Lucy's age. Eventually it'll make sense and hopefully everything's going to come together.**

 **I might not upload tomorrow, since I'm working on a horror story for summer school (English 12 Completion, if anyone cares at all). But Thursday for sure!**

 **Cya :)**

 **-Radish**


	3. Two Promises

**Hello! a little late but I made it!**

 **like I promised: ch 3!**

 **\- Radish**

* * *

 _-9 years old-_

"Oi," Loke poked the sleeping boy. "Oi, Natsu. Wake up!"

Natsu moaned and covered his ears. Loke rolled his eyes and slapped his friend on the head, hard.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" Natsu rubbed his forehead gingerly, glaring. "What's your problem, ya fucktard?"

"Lucy just got called down to the office."

Natsu was instantly alert. "What?"

"And the teacher's face was really pale and he told Lucy to bring her stuff."

"Shit."

He knew what that meant. After all, he'd been dreading this day for a while.

"Gramps! Hey, Gramps! I'm gonna go..." He tried to think of an excuse. "Gotta go pee!"

The whole class laughed as Natsu scratched the back of his head awkwardly to hide his anxiety. The tiny old teacher peered at him over the rim of his glasses, scrutinizing him.

"Go on," Mr. Makarov said. As Natsu ran past him, he added quietly, "tell Lucy I'm sorry about what happened."

"...Why didn't you call me earlier?" She was crying into the phone. "I wanted to see Mama a last time!"

Natsu stood outside the school office, listening with his head hung low. He couldn't believe Layla had died. Well, he'd known that her disease was killing her but had, like everyone else, become optimistic when she'd lived past her supposed expiry date.

He'd believed that this day would not come. Now, he knew, was the time to pick up the broken pieces.

The conversation had stopped and only quiet sobs could be heard. He stepped into the room.

"Luce?"

She shook her head, her bangs hiding her eyes. "Not now..."

He sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulder without a word.

"Papa's coming to pick me up. You'd better go." She found her voice eventually, sighing rather than speaking. "You know how he hates you."

Natsu didn't move. "Don't talk, Luce. I know it's hard."

"Did you cry when your parents died?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "Just a little bit. Don't remember them much."

"Oh." She sniffled and they lapsed into silence. Natsu held her hand as they sat together on the office bench, waiting for Jude.

"Natsu, will you leave me too?" She was looking at him now.

"No."

"Never?"

"Never. I'll always be here for you, Luce." She put her head on his shoulder and he stacked his head on hers.

"You promise?"

"Yup. Pinky promise." He hooked his pinky with hers as he held her hand and felt her smile.

"I wish I could have talked to Mama. See her one more time, hold her hand again, tell her I love her."

Natsu felt a drop of something warm trickle down his arm. Lucy quickly wiped it away with a mumbled sorry.

"I'm sure Layla's up there," he hastily murmured into her ear. He didn't want her to cry anymore. "Y'know, watching you sleep and all that creepy stuff."

"Thanks Natsu." She hiccuped, dabbing at her eyes with her hands. "You're the best bestie ever."

He blushed and closed his eyes.

* * *

 _They were lying on the couch in a tangle of limbs, cuddling after making love. Layla had propped herself up onto her elbow and was looking down at Igneel._

 _She was now a shadow of her former self, all skin and bone and pain. She had grown so weak that it was hard for her to walk next door to visit, so he usually visited her now. When Jude wasn't home, of course. She laid in bed for most of the day, and could go outside for a few short walks a day._

 _Adultery was something he had only imagined middle-aged fools to indulge in._

 _But Lust was such a powerful thing. Perhaps humans are really drawn to the darkness. And yet lust was not love, and Igneel often found himself pacing the borderline in frustration._

 _What he had thought of as love before was simply lustful longing._

 _She was hardly beautiful now, with her skeletal frame and hollow cheeks devoid of youth and life, but he found himself wanting her just the same. A sick parody of love._

 _She neither loved him nor wanted him, he knew. She just needed someone to love her and make her feel alive. Jude, who was nearing fifty now, no longer had the energy to satisfy her growing appetite._

 _Thats all he was, he supposed. A toy._

 _He looked at her and realized for not the first time that he did not love her._

 _Dark circles framed her haunted eyes, souvenirs of sleepless, fearful nights. She had confided in him once about how she was afraid of sleeping at night; afraid of never waking up again to see the next day's light._

 _"I'm going to be hospitalized tomorrow," she whispered. "This is the last time."_

 _He reached over and touched the sensitive skin on the inside of her rapidly-thinning thigh. She felt much too delicate, almost like glass. "I'll visit you and bring you flowers."_

 _"I don't want flowers. I want to live."_

 _"You will, hon. You'll live forever and ever." Half-hearted, the words just come out of his mouth._

 _"I want to live!" Her eyes were blazing, filled with liquid fire. "I want to dance and run and feel the wind on my face again! Oh, Igneel, you have no idea how jealous I am of everyone! Even Lucy! Sometimes I find myself wishing that she and I could switch places-"_

 _He pushed himself up and kissed her. She kissed him back frantically, as if searching for something from this little human connection._

 _"Don't you worry, Layla. I'll always be here for you." And for a second there, he almost believed it._

 _She sighed. "Will you take care of Lucy when I'm not here?"_

 _"Sure, though Natsu's pretty much hoggin' her all the time."_

 _They laughed, but Igneel found himself feeling just a little jealous of Natsu and Lucy._

* * *

Jude was looking at him across the room, tearful and lonely as he waded through the well-dressed, polite crowd of rich upperclass men and woman moping about.

She had died.

The gloomy funeral was proof, filled with people she once knew, dabbing away with their silk hankies at tears that would never fall.

Igneel was hiding himself in a corner of the room, trying not to feel guilty about everything he had done. Or rather, not done.

His visits in the last months had been few and far between, mostly just dropping by to bring to kids to see her. She had smiled so brilliantly when she could.

"Igneel." Igneel considered running away from Jude.

"Jude." He nodded at the haggard-looking businessman who seemed to have aged ten years in a week. He softened his voice. "I'm sorry about Layla."

"It's fine." Jude's face contorted with pain for just a moment, like a crack in the surface of a frozen lake. Then the winter chill took over and the crack was quickly repaired. "We all knew it was going to happen eventually. And in the last month, it hurt her so..." The man's voice wavered and he cleared his throat. "It hurt her so much."

Igneel nodded, remembering how her face had looked in the last days. It was painful just to look at her. "At least she's not suffering now."

"Right, I hope not." Out of nowhere he seemed to have conjured up a photo of her, taken a few summers ago when both families had gone on a car trip together. "I hope she's smiling."

"Believe it." Igneel said, almost thoughtfully, as he gazed at the picture in Jude's hand. He was the one who had taken it, and the memory of the moment had floated up through the fog of his mind. "She's always smiling."

Jude looked like he was about to burst into tears, so Igneel patted him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture, feeling more than a little bad about sleeping with his wife.

"She really liked you." Jude said wistfully. "She was always mentioning you."

Igneel gazed at his rich but lonely, almost pathetic neighbour in pity. "I'm glad she thought of me sometimes. You guys are the best neighbours I've had. I'm sorry."

And he left Jude standing alone and staring at her photo.

* * *

 **New chapter tomorrow!**

 **Follow, fav, review? thanks!**

 **-Radish**


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